About Oboe Lessons at Pakachoag
Our outstanding faculty is equipped to teach beginning through advanced music lessons. At all levels, oboe lessons are student-centered to develop personalized musical and technical skills. You can begin oboe lessons around the age of 10. College students and adults also welcome.
One of the major benefits of taking lessons at Pakachoag is being part of a music community that provides the opportunity to participate in multiple Pakachoag programs and performance opportunities.
Finding the right music teacher and the right instrument can make all the difference in music education. We pay careful attention to skill levels, needs and goals to help you realize your full music potential and to foster a lifelong love of music.
Oboe lessons are currently available in Worcester. To start the inquiry process, please complete this lesson inquiry form.
Oboe Lesson Scheduling
While lessons are scheduled on a weekly basis during the school year, we will consider accepting adult students on an every-other-week basis if scheduling permits.
Summer lessons are available on an individual basis according to student and teacher availability. Please contact the office in April or May for information regarding summer lesson availability.
Please email info@pakmusic.org if you have additional questions.
You can view more information about our Oboe teacher, Colton Ray Cox, here.
Oboe Lessons and Performance Opportunities
For students seeking performance experience, Pakachoag Music School offers performance opportunities as part of your private lessons. Read more about our Performance Program here.
Why Take Oboe Lessons?
Numerous studies and research over the decades shows a direct correlation between music learning, success in school and beyond, and on-going health and well-being. When we take private music lessons, we’re developing important skills that we don’t always learn in other group-based classroom settings.
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- Creativity
- Confidence
- Problem Solving
- Perseverance
- Focus
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- Non-Verbal Communication
- Receiving Constructive Feedback
- Collaboration
- Dedication
- Accountability
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Learning the Oboe to Lower Stress
The National Center for Biotechnology Information published a study on the effectiveness of music to lower stress. The test involved putting volunteers into three groups. Before being exposed to a stressor, each group was exposed to a different stimulus. Group 1 – Relaxing music, Group 2 – the sound of rippling water, and Group 3 – resting with no sound present. After exposure, the researchers measured each group’s stress indicators. The study showed that those who listened to relaxing music before the stressor had significantly lower cortisol (the stress hormone) levels than those in the other two groups.
Oboe Lessons Build Perseverance
The process of learning to play an instrument is not always easy. Music learning combines mental and physical skill sets. You must learn fingerings, work on breathing and relaxation, develop technique, and memorize new information.
Slowly, with consistent practice, you will find yourself getting better. With each new milestone, you gain a small reward for your efforts, which will keep you motivated. Making music requires patience.
When you Play the Oboe You Use Every Part Of Your Brain
Check out this great video from TedEd about how music benefits your brain.
Oboe Lessons Can Strengthen Your Immune System!
While investigating the effects of music, physiologists Daniel J. Levitin and Mona Lisa Chanda found that listening to music and playing an instrument increased the immune system. Active engagement with music lead to the manufacturing of the antibody immunoglobulin-A. Immunoglobulin-A is a natural killer cell, which kills viruses. If you feel under the weather, playing your oboe might help!
Studying Music Increases Memory
Way back in 2003, ABC Science included a study conducted among school students, half of whom had been musically trained, and half who had not. The test involved reading a list of words to the students and asking them to recall the words after a space of time had elapsed. The study found that the boys who had been musically trained had a significantly better verbal memory than the boys who had not. In addition, the more musical training they had, the more words they were able to remember.